When Dennis Duett first enrolled at Montgomery County Community College eight years ago, he was fresh out of Archbishop Carroll High School, and not sure what he wanted to do with his life.

At first he thought taking a few general education courses could help him discover his passion, but he quickly realized he was just going through the motions of attending classes. He decided to drop out after his first semester.

“The big thing was I talked to my dad, Dennis Sr.,” he said of the decision. “He wanted me to go to college not just to go, but to go and make something of myself. I didn’t want to go and not care about the classes I was taking. I wanted to do well. I realized I didn’t know what I wanted to do. It took some soul-searching to figure it out.”

Six years later he was back on MCCC’s Central Campus in Blue Bell. This time he was focused and ready to begin earning an associate’s degree in education, in the hope of one day becoming a school counselor. That focus has begun to pay off.

Today the 26-year-old from Souderton is one of four Montgomery County Community College students selected for the 2019-2020 All-Pennsylvania Academic Team, which is sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges, and the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges.

The recognition honors an exceptional group of community college students who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrated a commitment to their colleges and communities. To qualify, students must have completed at least 36 credits and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. 

The four students excel academically, earning their places on the dean’s list and as members of PTK, and they are actively involved on campus and in their communities. 

So what changed for Duett that motivated him to go back to school?

“I’ve been working for seven years in the restaurant industry,” he said. “I’ve met a lot of people stuck in restaurant life. You work weekends, there are no health benefits and there are no holidays. You’re stuck to instant cash at the end of the night. I couldn’t do that for the rest of my life.”

The other motivation came when his dad passed away two years ago. Having felt like he hadn’t achieved anything of merit in his life up to that point, Duett knew he wanted to make his dad proud by going back to school and making something of himself. Plus, this time he had the strong support of his girlfriend, Sarah Parcell, her family, the support of his mom, Nancy Massella-Duett.

Once back on campus, Duett quickly got involved in extracurricular life. He began by serving on MCCC’s Student Usability Feedback Board with the Information Technology Department and soon after applied for a student ambassador position with Phi Theta Kappa, where he currently serves as vice president of scholarship.

Getting involved on campus he said was “the first step in bettering myself.”

“It was a big change for me,” he said. “In 2012, I wasn’t really involved. I realized when I went back, you get more of the college experience when you give of yourself.”

Currently under quarantine after the COVID-19 virus closed MCCC facilities, Duett is trying to do his best among challenging times studying from home online. He’s trying to balance school and home distractions, without being able to work at the restaurant.

“The move to online classes has been OK at best,” he said. “Math has always been my weakest subject, so transitioning into a ‘learn on your own’ environment has been difficult. The college offers online tutoring, which has been my saving grace."

Outside of school, Duett volunteers at the Indian Creek Church of the Brethren, in Harleysville, in the youth ministry.

“I like a lot of the people there. It’s an older church. They need help getting more modern,” he said. “At the church I help leverage technology to keep church members engaged in modern times. We try our best to make it as easy as possible.”

Duett was initially surprised he’d be named a member of the Pennsylvania All-Academic Team, having applied for the scholarship “on a whim.”

“I’m super grateful,” he said. “I’ve never gotten real scholarships before. It’s the first one I’ve applied for and gotten. It’s overwhelming for sure.”

With his time at MCCC soon coming to an end, as he’s set to graduate in May, Duett said he’s planning to continue his education at West Chester University in the fall. Then he wants to obtain a master’s degree in education.

It’s been eight years since Duett dropped out after one semester of college. Today he has a mission. He wants to be school counselor for two reasons: he likes psychology and also because he was bullied growing up and knows how important it is for a child to have an adult in their life who’s there to help.

“I want to give other students the support that I never had,” he said. “That’s my end goal. That’s what I want to get to.”